The phenomenon of self-satire, one type of satire in Arabic literature, was examined thematically in the present study, where the examples reflecting the culture of self-satire in Arabic poetry and giving clues about the individual and social life of the period were analyzed. After Jahiliyyah, the system based on tribe unity was disintegrated and left its place to individualism together with state formation in Arabic communities. Individuals freed themselves from the vortex of tribal fanaticism and became free, bringing about some transformations in the understanding of satire. Thus, many of the features sought in satire, such as frightening, scolding, and discrediting, making it effective and powerful in society, lost their effect and were replaced by entertainment and humor. In this context, an interesting type of satire, such as pure satire, emerged, and became a practiced style over time, and qualified and rare examples were exhibited in this field. On the other hand, the concepts of self-satire, criticism and humor are different and develop on separate grounds although they are conceptually similar. This study, which traces examples of self-satirization in different periods of Arabic literature, aims to identify and present the precursors of this phenomenon, the factors in its background, and the contexts in which it was used through the analysis of the relevant material. In classical Arabic poetry, poets who directly or indirectly criticize themselves are discussed in chronological order, where everyday examples that do not include self-satirization as an external theme are collected and analyzed. It is noteworthy that these poets were mostly witty, sarcastic and sharptongued, of slave origin, black, and had obvious physical defects. It was also seen that these were poets who went to such extremes in satire that they would satirize their closest relatives, especially their mothers and fathers, and anyone who did them any good. Among these, alHutay'e, who is the most talked about, pioneered the establishment and maturation of pure satire in Arabic literature during his time, making the poet an indisputable representative of this style. However, when it comes to poets satirizing themselves, this article, due to its format volume limitations, tried to keep limited with some of the poetry examples we have identified and present the subject in a more concrete way. Poems written in this context are considered one of the most effective types of satire. Many of them, if directed at others, would create permanent hatred and anger in their addressees and even cause major crises. On the other hand, these examples attract vattention with their aesthetic and unique narratives, as well as their humorous and entertaining aspects going beyond satire in terms of their effects on the addressees. There are academic studies of various levels dealing with satire in a general sense in the field of Arabic language and rhetoric. However, as far as we can determine, no independent study has been found that directly addresses the self-satirizing poets in classical Arabic literature in our country. That no independent study is available reveals that there is a need for comprehensive studies to fill the gap in the field. It should also be noted that the theme of satire in Arabic literature constitutes a wide area of interest, and various studies have been conducted on the subject in the context of the classical period. However, the lack of in-depth and detailed, independent studies covering different periods of Arabic literature on a unique theme such as self- satire was one of the main factors that necessitated the consideration of this subject. That the data on the phenomenon of self-satire, which presents an exceptional theme, is scattered in classical literary sources or is not addressed sufficiently, along with the fact that this phenomenon is contrary to the cultural system of Arabic poetry are among the critical issues that need to be considered. In the analysis of the material of this study, it was understood that self-satirization is not a theme compatible with human nature and does not always show the same development. As a result of the research, it was understood that self-satirizing poets sometimes practiced self- satire as an art and sometimes to gain material achievements and to make people laugh and entertain. The phenomenon of self-satire, having examples from various periods, was not limited to the poets who practiced this phenomenon, but also attracted the attention of the caliphs and administrators living in the relevant periods. It was concluded that the poets who satirized themselves mostly criticized their physical flaws and that the majority of these poets lived in the Abbasid period, when the culture of humor was widespread and class diversity was evident.
